Peter McMullin is a beacon for giving and advocacy, inspiring other leaders to follow suit. He is a business leader and an active philanthropist, encouraging the private sector to address social issues, rather than leaving it to the province of governments. Peter and his wife Ruth tirelessly contribute and advocate for those without a voice, establishing a foundation that supports a wide range of causes, from refugees and indigenous Australians to education, international cooperation and the creative industries.
Peter’s journey in giving and advocacy deepened when he attended a Colloquium for Ethical Leadership, a six-day intensive reflection on 2,000 years of philosophy to explore ethical action in life and work. His transformative moment came from reading Ursula Le Guin’s story, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, which ignited his passion for leadership in philanthropy.
The Good Business Foundation is a notable example of the many impactful programs Peter supports. Through the Good Business Foundation, Peter promotes engaging businesses in social good.
Peter knows leadership is about collaboration. He is multiplying the impact of his contributions through partnerships with other individuals and organisations around the globe. He cannot accomplish a lasting impact going it alone, particularly given the scale of the social problems he is addressing. Peter believes that Good Business can build resilient communities and address injustices.
Connecting with his roots, Peter supports the SME impact sector in developing economies. His parents met when they were running their own respective small businesses and imbued him with a lived experience of SMEs being the engine of economic growth. He believes to create real and sustainable change, we must build the SME market at a systems level. That means working with progressive partners to help educate, connect and build what may be possible. Traditional business associations such as the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) also play a role in furthering more purposeful business. Investors, communities, and future generations are searching for a new business model that benefits both people and the planet.
These leadership insights from Peter McMullin are outlined in more detail in the new book, which Dean Phelan and I co-authored – The Gentle Art of Leadership. The perspectives we gathered from our interviews with 50+ leaders from around the globe and the original research we drew on, form the basis of the book.
Peter’s example encourages us as leaders to reflect on our own approach to giving and advocacy and the impact we want to make.
🙋♀️ What is the impact you want to make? 🙋
Best regards, Brian
PS: Discover your inner superpower, develop the human touch and enhance your ability to get to “yes” faster in the Personality and Behaving Transactionally Program. Get in touch if you would like to set up a free exploratory call to find out more.